Rockbeatspaper - A full-service design agency. We create simple, intuitive and effective web design, identities and printed materials.

We are launching new mobile services

As web designers and developers, we often consider ourselves to be on the forefront of technology and newness and we hang out with all the cool web kids in the hottest internet spots. So you can imagine the head-scratching that was taking place as Dave and I asked ourselves the following question:

"WHY are we not offering any mobile services to our clients??!!"

Here we were, two fairly connected and well-informed dudes running a sophisticated web firm that had answers to all of the major concerns that exist within our clients' brains. Simple, elegant and highly usable web sites? Check. Search engine optimized content plans and all the under-the-hood stuff that makes Google giddy? Check. Easy-to-use content management systems that put control of their sites back into the hands of our clients? Check. Standards-based development practices, with the coolest CSS and javascript doo-dads and thingamabobs? We don't really focus on too many acronyms, but yes, check on those things too. Versions of our clients' web sites that are optimized solely for the mobile browsing experience?  Ch----, wait a minute, we don't do that!!! Boo.

Well now we do. This week, we have launched our mobile web design service with much fanfare and hoopla. We aren't waiting until we have it perfected and we fully expect you all to have questions that we haven't yet answered. But we are going for it. Why? Because we took a peek at the numbers and as we all know, numbers don't lie, right?

• On any given day, 57.8 million Americans access the web via their mobile device
• EBay’s mobile site and app combined received 5.4 million unique monthly visitors in August 2009, according to The Nielsen Co.
• Worldwide 172.4 million smart phones were sold in 2009.

I state those statistics with a certain balance of optimism and sarcasm. Optimistic because no matter where you get your numbers it is obvious that the mobile web is here to stay. Sarcastic because 87.5% of all statistics are made up on the spot, so it is difficult to believe every statistic we read. But regardless of the numbers, we do believe that your customers are increasingly going to the mobile web to learn more about you, or your competitor. They are looking for your address, your phone number and the latest special you are running in the location nearest them. They are waiting in line all the time for something and are choosing to pull out their web-enabled phone or smartphone to pass the time. What are your hours of operation? Is your menu available online? How do I get to your location?  All these are questions that are being asked regardless of whether or not you have a web site at all, not to mention a mobile optimized site. Are you going to be waiting for them with answers to their questions? Or will they tap in your web address and find a tiny scaled-down version of your desktop site that must be zoomed, tapped and scrolled to death just to find your phone number or a link to a map? We hope not.

So let us know what you think. Poke and prod around a bit. We want to make it simple and easy to understand for you, with a fixed price for a basic site* and a quick turnaround time to match. Keep an eye on our blog for more articles in the future dealing with the ins and outs and best practices of optimizing your site for the mobile experience. 

* The specs for a basic site are outline on our mobile web design service page